Project 260Z - Stages

[jeff43]

Nice work, keep at it and she will be rust free soon.

[mspecr]

Thanks for the kind words everyone .

@ gav240z : actually the only prior experience was when I started on the 2+2 in regards to body work, this being one massive learning curve.

I'm no pro thou there is more then ample info out there from people who have walked this path before. Pays to do some homework .

 

I'm more mechanical minded if anything, being in touch with kind people from the wazregister has helped me considerably.

[mspecr]

Started on the drivers rocker.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 So far so good.

 

 This was the only real damage, I was rather pleased to only find this.

 

 Front section looking happy.

 

 Temp fit of untrimmed panels.

 

 

 

 Dogleg Panel : TABCO - 16750R

 

  Rocker Panel : TABCO - 16740R

 

 So while wire wheeling away, I ended up here and really hit some solid bog.

 

 

 

 

 easy 12mm plus of bondo was hiding.

 

 Out came the stripper disk on the grinder, Here it pays to wear a full mask.

 

 

The arch was buried in varies degrees of bog, oddly enough there wasn't really much panel damage beside a few dents. Wiped it down and gave it a quick lick of primer to save the metal.

 

Top of the door latch/jam panel however been shunted in a fair bit, so guess I'll be looking for both L+R locking panels.

 

Other then that I really made a mess in the garage... :S

 

Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mspecr]

Been a lasy week, which sadly i didn't get around to doing anything too productive.

 

Got in contact with John from baddogparts.com and started talking about getting some body rails and the other odd pieces he sell, sooner or later I'll be up for them.

Sourced down a passenger side door jam panel to suit the early 3 bolt from Martin - Tune Right. Should be getting that tomorrow sometime.

And lastly got in touch with Warren from All Z Parts, for some random items that are not needed now but seeing whats available later on, mainly interior bits / seals.

 

Other then thats it.

 

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w3/mspecr/1974%20Datsun%20260z%20build/misc%20items/th_Snapchat-8621533430725056939_zpsymr0ugir.mp4

 

Mark.

[Sirpent]

Mark at the rate you are moving,

 

A Lazy week for you is a busy one for me !

 

Nice work 

[Cozza]

Might need a bigger bandaid for that wound

Looks like you've still got a bit of work ahead of you but at your rate you'll be done by June.

Keep it up Mate, enjoying watching your work!

[mspecr]

Cheers for the kind words 

I am aiming for November - (for my bday) to have the 1st stage done. IF, it all goes well

 

Just had a massive rush of inspiration after watching Charlie's rb260Z video, just love it ! Nice benchmark to aim for.

 

Also if anyone is after Warren from All Z Parts, he's a bit unwell and taking some time off due a knee problem, wishing him a speedy recovery this is just a heads up if anyone is after gear from him and not able to get through.

 

Rails are ordered and are on the way from John @ baddogparts.com

 

 got my door jam / lock panels.

 

 only a little bit of big, better then having nothing at all.

 

 patch for the inner wheel arch, which was off some prebent bracket i found laying around.

 

 

 

 somewhere I forgot to take pictures, I think i was on a good run and forgot to take a few but the drivers door jam was re-installed.

 

 

 kicker panel top half done.

 

 coated as norm.

 

 i lost count of how many times I trimmed this dogleg trying to find its sweet spot

 

 hammer worked a treat

 

still yet to weld the bottom lip together, I might leave that once the car is flipped, as overhead welding has not been friendly to me in the past .

 

 

Starting drilling out the spot welds on the passenger door jam panel, half of it was welded together, so its been off before in its past life. Found a bit of rust in the lower area which is expected thou not sure until its completely apart. 

 

Mark.

 

[Sirpent]

Great to see you back on the tools "Grease Lightning" 

[PeterAllen]

Mark, I sincerely hope you see this through to the end. The effort you are putting in deserves a just reward.

 

Fantastic, well done.

[mspecr]

@ Sirpent , Haha I feel at home when i have a tool in my hand.

@ PeterAllen, Cheers for the kind words, I will something about it that keeps drawing my attention everyday, might have a chat to a therapist.... 

 

Its quite humbling to have so much support specially from all the z lovers out there.

[mspecr]

Started at the other side back where it all began, that passenger side rear quarter.

 

  finalize the weld on rear support pillar, cleaned up and coated in primer.

 

 

 started tacking the quarter panel back into place, making sure to keep that gap from the rear hatch.

 

 taking my dear sweet time on tacking this critical part.

 

 ground back after the 1st pass, which the 2nd was to fill anything i missed.

 

 coated.

 

 

After getting the 1/4 window arch and the rear end perfect, I found that the top of the door would clash with the rear quarter, I tried to move the door as far forward as possible but no success, to solve this I will have to cut a slice from the top of the rear quarter down 3/4 of the panel, this should give me that extra clearance.

 

How much clearance between the door the rear quarter panel is everyone having ? least a ball park. 

 

Mark.

 

[Sirpent]

As always, great work Mate !

[jeff43]

 

 

How much clearance between the door the rear quarter panel is everyone having ? least a ball park. 

 

Mark.

 

Hi Mark the gap you have at the curve at the bottom of the door is the gap you need all the way up.

 

Good work as well.

 

Cheers Jeff

[260DET]

If you haven't already done so, I'd check the door fit front, top and back before cutting any metal. 

[CroS13]

awesome work mate, your really moving along at a cracking pace, and that's good, it gives me motivation!

Rudi

[mspecr]

@jeff43 : 6mm is what that gap is on the bottom, this is what I'm aiming for overall.

@260DET : Spent a few good days playing with this door placement, with very little success unfortunately. Had a few others come around and give there thoughts but this seamed to be only way, considering it had a rough prior life its just became the character of the car. I did see a few Z during the week measuring there gaps, ball park is 6 - 9mm, I didn't come across any that where smaller.

@CroS13 : Cheers Rudi , your DP makes me miss my s15 .

[mspecr]

So i hacked the 3/4 rear, to make the passenger side door fit.

 

 

 using a ruler to follow the edge of the panel, I drew a line down the guard after that it was sliced using a grinder.

 

 

 

 Start of Tacks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Still need to finish grinding smooth the welds, checking before any more has to be done.

 

 Currently how it sits.

 

 

 Fender on to see where I'm going.

 

 

 

 

 

This area where the front of the door Jam sits is what I'm concerned about, not exactly sure how much of a gap i need as I didn't have a seal there to begin with, any help would be great .

 

Mark.

Edited April 29, 2016 by mspecr

[gav240z]

From sitting behind my computer here, gaps are looking good. It can be tricky getting the door alignment to sit well on these cars. Also are you door hinge pins good? Or have they sagged or have play in them? That will impact things also.

[mspecr]

hhmmmmm, you know I cant say I have actually checked the hinge pins for slop, will do tomorrow, thanks for the tip. 

[mspecr]

Checked them door hinges, wow. sausage down a hallway on all four.

So borrowing the details from here : http://www.viczcar.com/forum/topic/10316-sagging-door-hinges/

Looks like ill be doing some hinges soon.

 

 

 Passenger side door jam de-tacked from donor. wire wheeled, repaired lower leg etch prime and chassis black the rear.

 

 

 

 

 

 and installed. (before grinding down welds)

 

 

 

 top half of kicker panel done.

 

So after the kicker was well secured. I reinstalled the front fender to see how it all lines up bolted down. Got the the last bolt that's in the kicker panel and POP, lost my nut.. So had to go fishing for it.

 

 

 I'll just use a nutsert as a replacement then try to weld this guy back in.

 

So going all neanderthal by this time, I took my attention to the battery tray. 

 

 

 Previous repair work.

 

 

 

 

 wire wheeling the passenger floor pan showed more....

 

 

 mining continues. 

 

 

" Beer time "

 

 

[CroS13]

Have fun with that section mate, that's the last area i did on mine, took me a while to get the curves all right and sorted. 

Looking forward to seeing how you tackle it, ive seen some people butcher that area

Rudi.

[jeff43]

Door gaps look good. Top job as always and lots of progress, good to see. I wish I was making as much progress with mine.

 

As Rudi said good luck with the battery tray, I'm sure your up to the task!!!!!!

 

Keep at it.

 

Cheers Jeff

[mspecr]

Have fun with that section mate, that's the last area i did on mine, took me a while to get the curves all right and sorted. 

 

Looking forward to seeing how you tackle it, ive seen some people butcher that area

 

Rudi.

 

:S I'll be sure to take my time on it, cheers for the heads up. I have been staring at it for a while still contemplating how to go about on it. 

 

Door gaps look good. Top job as always and lots of progress, good to see. I wish I was making as much progress with mine.

 

As Rudi said good luck with the battery tray, I'm sure your up to the task!!!!!!

 

Keep at it.

 

Cheers Jeff

Thanks again for the kind words Jeff  !

 

Ok so this week, I sorta got distracted and was playing with one of my other toys, so nothing really got done on the 260z besides a " very " minor clean up in garage.

 

Not a 260z thou still a nissan  this all happened because i found a inter cooler the back shed and thought I would make use of it.

 

 

      

 

Had to reduce the size of my original oil cooler to 16 row, lose the original power steering cooler and replace with a davis craig trans cooler. reroute intake pipework to suit.

Still more stuff to do, but it will do for now. Need to get a power run done so I know what a stage 1 rb25 does in a patrol on 33". 

 

Mark. - currently distracted.

[CBR Jeff]

Keep focus Mark :-).

Some times you just need a change of pace.

I'm interested to see the battery section as its close on my "to do" list.

Jeff

[260NZ]

The pace of this project is unreal! My early 260 requires a similar amount of work in one respect or another, but in the 3 years I've owned it, I've done maybe 25% of what you've achieved in 3 months! Awesome work man. Don't you have a day job, woman, child or any other handbrake in your life?! Respect.